Seven Year Old Boys Don't Show Fear
by Shimmering Skittles
Summary: Fluffy snippet from Draco's childhood. He wants to be brave but it's just so hard!


Seven Year Old Boys Don't Show Fear

Lucius' eyes snapped open searching the bed next to him. There lay his wife and nothing else. His heart began thundering a bit faster and he reached for his wand. Now that he had cast a lumos spell his entire bedroom came into view under the pale light. There was no movement anywhere. He quickly slipped into his slippers and went out into the hallway. Another crash of thunder shook the house and Lucius picked up his pace just a little bit more. Ever so quietly, he pushed his son's bedroom door open and sighed.

The sheets were pulled up into a massive hump at the end of the bed. The duvet was on the floor and a stuffed dragon was staring at him from its place on the pillow. He walked over and slowly pulled the tangled sheets back to reveal Draco huddled into his mattress. He put a hand on his son's back only to have Draco shriek and scurry about so he could see something other than the sheets on his bed.

Once untangled, Draco barely had to look to realize it was his father. He blinked rapidly trying to keep any tears away. He was a big boy now. He had to stay in his own bed now and handle it himself. He didn't understand why it had to storm at night. He didn't get so scared whenever it stormed during the day. But maybe that was because it wasn't dark and he wasn't alone then. He was turning seven tomorrow though so he couldn't be scared anymore. Greg and Vincent were both seven and they weren't scared of storms. He couldn't be either.

His father was still standing there but Draco resolutely bunched the sheets up into his little fists instead of reaching out like he wanted to. Something cold was trickling down his cheek and Draco suddenly felt his nose get all blocked up. He sniffed and felt his bed dip. The hand was once again on his back and Draco felt his eyes leak even more. Stupid eyes.

"Draco, are you alright?" He nodded determinedly and heard his father sigh. "Do you want to sleep with me and your mother?" Draco simply shook his head no, unable to actually vocalize anything. He was scared that if he did his voice would be like it always was when he cried. Thunder clapped again and Draco pulled the sheet tighter around himself wishing he was huddled into his mattress still.

Lucius was at a loss. Draco always ran to their bed when he was scared at night. He supposed he should encourage this new development, but he honestly didn't want to. He would certainly not be getting any sleep knowing that his son was alone in his bedroom shaking under a pile of sheets. He couldn't imagine Draco getting much sleep either and he had a busy day tomorrow. He wanted Draco to enjoy his birthday party, not spend the day dozing off.

"Do you want me to stay here with you?" Draco began to nod and then stopped himself biting his lip in indecision. Could he be a brave boy if his daddy stayed? "I don't want to be seven." He whispered into his sheets. The bed moved again and he looked to see his dad was now sitting cross-legged facing him. Draco found himself crawling into his lap and dragging his sheets with him. "I thought you were excited to be turning seven." Draco threw his arms around his father's neck and mumbled something unintelligible into his shoulder. "What was that?" Reluctantly, Draco pulled his head back and repeated himself. "I'm not brave enough to be seven."

Lucius tried to think back but couldn't remember ever having told Draco that turning seven meant he had to be braver. Maybe Narcissia had said something. Still, he knew his wife didn't mind Draco sleeping with them anymore than he did. Oh it could be irritating at times but neither of them would ever send Draco away to suffer in his fears alone. He kissed the top of Draco's head and hugged him. "Silly boy. Even seven year olds get scared sometimes." Draco's eyebrow rose giving his father a skeptical look and Lucius tried not to smile too much. "Really?" Lucius nodded in confirmation and watched as his son seemed to think deeply about something.

"Well alright. But can we not tell Greg or Vincent?" Lucius agreed and Draco smiled, jumping off the bed. He waited for his dad and then grasped his hand as more thunder crashed.

Ten minutes later Lucius was once again snuggled into his own bed. He ran a hand through Draco's tangled hair and smiled. Draco would eventually have to get over his fear of storms but not just yet. He didn't need Draco to be a bloody Gryffindor after all. Just Draco, fears and all.


End file.
